Tag Archives: CECH Library Blog

CECH Spotlight: The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

The Eternal Ones: What If Love Refused To Die  / written by Kristen Miller / 2010

Haven has always had strange visions. However, she constantly has an uncanny feeling that she is reliving the memories of another’s romantic relationship from long ago. Yet, it almost feels as if it was her in those dreams. Living in a conservative town, she has no one to confide in especially when everyone seems to think that the devil is to blame for her strange dreams.

It all seemed to be just strange and coincidental visions until she saw a celebrity on television that reminded her exactly of the man in her dreams. Although her entire town is against her, a group called the Ouroboros Society in New York City that seems to know a lot about what Haven has been experiencing, not only that but the celebrity that triggered a connection to her dreams happens to be there as well.

The Eternal Ones is available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Alexis Parker, CECH Library Student Assistant | Public Relations and International Affairs, A&S 2024

CECH Spotlight: It Feels Good To Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity / written by Theresa Thorn, illustrated by Noah Grigni / 2019

It Feels Good to Be Yourself is an important and amazing book to use when it comes to approaching the topic of gender identity and expression. It is open and direct and explains gender in a very succinct way, making this ideal for young children. It discusses what cis-gender, transgender, non-binary and gender fluidity mean in a positive and easily understandable way. The illustrations feature diversity and are bright and full of life. At the end, there are resources readily available and information about pronouns. This text is straightforward and puts an emphasis on self-expression, acceptance, and inclusiveness.

It Feels Good to Be Yourself is available from CECH Library,  as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks. Keep an eye out for the sequel that debuts in October!

Review by Sadie Matthews, CECH Library Student Assistant | Elementary Education, CECH 2023

 

CECH Spotlight: Love Is Love

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Love Is Love / written by Michael Genhart; illustrated by Ken Min / 2018

A young boy with gay parents is constantly teased and bullied at school. They tell him that his “family wasn’t a real family”. Through a conversation between friends, learn how they discover what makes a family real.

Love is Love is a simple, yet beautiful, story that teaches children that it’s love that makes a family real. Told through the conversation between two young friends confiding in one another, this is the perfect picture book to teach young children about love, uniqueness, and inclusion. Inside, there are resources, discussion questions, and more to help begin a gentle conversation about bullying, discrimination, and empowerment.

Love Is Love is available from CECH Library,  as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Sadie Matthews, CECH Library Student Assistant | Elementary Education, CECH 2023

New Book Spotlight: The Blackbird Girls

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The New Book Spotlight highlights new-to-us titles in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

The Blackbird Girls / by Anne Blankman / 2020

Content Advisory/Trigger Warning: physical and mental abuse, anti-Semitism

Anne Blankman’s The Blackbird Girls is a historical fiction that jumps between Oksana and Valentina in the aftermath of the Chernobyl power plant explosion in 1986, and Rifka who is on the run from the Nazis in 1941.

Rifka grew up practicing Judaism while Valentina identifies only ethnically with Judism. Separated by over forty years, the two girls experienced anti-Semitism in ways that were similar yet so different. Oksana was the perfect Ukrainian, and all her life she was told to hate Valentina and people “of her kind”.

When the Chernobyl power plant exploded, Valentina and Oksana’s lives were forced together much to their dismay. But when they have to live together in Leningrad with Valentina’s grandmother, they learn how similar they are and how important they are to each other.

Blankman explores the impact World War II and the Holocaust had on Jewish people while showing personal growth in a prejudice time in world history. Blankman has created a story full of hope and resilience in a time of fear and uncertainty.

The Blackbird Girls is available from CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks. It also won the 2020 National Jewish Book Award for Middle Grades Literature.

Review by Alice Somers (she/her), CECH Library Student Assistant | Secondary English Education, CECH 2025

CECH Spotlight: Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Julian is a Mermaid / written and illustrated by Jessica Love / 2018

On Saturdays, Julian and his Abuela go swimming at the community pool. One Saturday, Julian sees several women wearing beautiful mermaid dresses and is totally entranced. He decided he wants to be a mermaid himself, but what might his Abuela think of this?

Jessica Love’s Julian is a Mermaid is an absolutely breathtaking picture book. It follows the story of a gender non-conforming child, which is a rare but very welcomed sight, who dreams of becoming a mermaid. This heartwarming story is full of vivid and magical illustrations that beautifully depict a child’s imagination and embrace diversity with a broad range of body types and skin tones. With each turn of a page, you will feel the anxiety, the love, and the acceptance Julian feels through subtle details in facial expressions and body language. Along with Julian, readers of all ages will learn that anyone can be a mermaid, and all it takes is acceptance, creative expression, and unconditional love.

Julian is a Mermaid is available from CECH Library,  as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Sadie Matthews, CECH Library Student Assistant | Elementary Education, CECH 2023

 

New Book Spotlight: The Magic Fish

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The New Book Spotlight highlights new-to-us titles in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

The Magic Fish / written and illustrated by Trung Le Nguyen

As the son of refugee parents from Vietnam, Tiến doesn’t know how to tell his mom that he is gay and worries that she won’t accept and love him anymore. Not only that, but he struggles to find the right words in Vietnamese. On the other hand, Tiến’s mother, Hiền, experiences her own journey of wondering if immigrating to America was worth leaving her family in Vietnam behind and if she’s to blame for the disconnect between her and Tien. 

Trung Le Nguyen’s The Magic Fish takes an unconventional approach to graphic novel storytelling by sharing fascinating fairytales and intertwining them with Tiến’s and his mother’s journey with vibrant colors and pictures that immediately draws readers in. Although not all readers will directly relate to Tiến’s or his mother’s story, it will surely take you on an emotional journey that might just encourage you to reflect on your own personal journeys. 

The Magic Fish is available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks. 

Review by Alexis Parker, CECH Library Student Assistant | Public Relations and International Affairs, A&S 2024 

New Book Spotlight: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me

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The New Book Spotlight highlights new-to-us titles in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me / written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrations by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell / 2019

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: toxic relationship, abortion, emotional abuse, adult/minor relationship, infidelity

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me is a coming-of-age story. Freddy, our seventeen-year-old protagonist, is dating Laura Dean, the attractive popular girl who is all wrong for her. Laura keeps cheating on and breaking up with Freddy, but they always end up back together. 

This graphic novel is a great read for older teens and adults alike. It has diverse representation and portrays LGBTQIA+ relationships in a way that is rarely seen in YA fiction. It focuses on the relationships between people rather than homophobia, coming out, or struggling with identity (though those themes are somewhat present). We get a glimpse of Freddy’s inner monolog as she struggles to navigate her relationships through emails to an advice columnist. It’s a realistic and raw portrayal of a toxic relationship and how it can impact every part of life. This book really captures the essence of high school relationships and what it feels like to love someone who isn’t good for you. The characters are hard to love and their flaws are at the forefront of the story. But they do feel real and raw. 

Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s art brings the story to life. It is dynamic and makes very creative use of color. Much of the book is black and white; however, pops of pink appear throughout the panels making it both visually appealing and dynamic to read. On particularly powerful moment in the book has all the characters, except Freddy, facing away from the reader really emphasizing how truly alone she is, as well as how much she has alienated her friends because of her toxic relationship with Laura Dean. 

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is available from CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Haley Shaw, CECH Temporary Librarian

 

CECH Spotlight: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe / written by by Benjamin Alire Sáenz / 2012

Celebrate Pride all summer long and read about the important stories of LGBTQ+ youth and their lives. Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe can be described as a very simple yet impactful read. Sáenz needs no intense plot twist or a plethora of characters to tell a touching and memorable story.

Follow along Ari’s coming-of-age journey as he faces struggles with loneliness, sexuality, and familial relationships, and along the way forms a special relationship with Dante, an artsy and talented swimmer he meets at the neighborhood pool. Ari and Dante live nearly opposite lives, yet are still struggling with the same issues. A perfect summer read with relatable teenage struggles, Ari & Dante is an authentic story that focuses on the small details in relationships and life, such as those ponderings about life, love, personal moments, and self-discovery.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is available from CECH Library,  as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks. Keep an eye out for the sequel that debuts in October!

Review by Alyssa Gruich, CECH Library Student Assistant | Political Science, A&S 2022